


Walking On Thin Ice

by geeky_neanderthal



Category: Anne with an E (TV)
Genre: Anne and Gilbert, F/M, Shirbert
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-07
Updated: 2018-08-14
Packaged: 2019-06-23 04:08:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,826
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15597975
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/geeky_neanderthal/pseuds/geeky_neanderthal
Summary: I won't give away too much, but Anne and Gilbert start a habit of walking to school together when a frostbite warning goes out. And since it's Anne, you would sort of expect some adventure now wouldn't you? (and maybe a little romance)





	1. It's For Your Own Safety

**Author's Note:**

> I didn't really set an exact year or age when this happens, but it's in the winter. Leave it up to your imagination to figure out the rest lol. Also, there are mentions of Ruby Gillis, Diana Barry and other smaller characters, but I just wanted to write a Shirbert fic. I'll be posting a few other chapters, but for now here's chapter 1 enjoy!
> 
> Oh, and this is my first fanfiction ever, so just keep that in mind lol

“For the last time Anne, I am not changing my mind,” Marilla decided with a firm nod of the head, “It’s for your own safety.”

Anne groaned in pure terror, flailing and spinning around, “No, no Marilla! I beg you, please please, do not make me go!” Anne pleaded, “The cold isn’t even perilous, I can handle it on my own.” 

Marilla sighed and looked at Anne the way most mothers (or mother-like figures, at least) do, “Oh Anne, don’t be so absurd,” she huffed, putting Anne’s lunch in her basket and folding the soft cloth over the food, “The town is concerned ever since Ruby Gillis developed a nasty case of frostbite, that it might happen to the other children. The poor girl almost didn’t make it, Matthew and I don’t want the same to happen to you. At least with someone walking to school with you, we know that if something were to happen to you, you would have someone to help you.” 

Anne scoffed and flung around as Marilla went to fetch Anne’s books.

“But why him?! Oh Marilla, why? Why can’t I walk to school with Diana? I’d be much more comfortable doing so with Diana, and I’m sure the Barry’s wouldn’t mind at all,” Anne begged for an alternative solution, talking a mile a minute as she always did when trying to talk her way out of something. 

Again, Marilla Cuthbert gave Anne that look insinuating that Anne was being ridiculous. 

“The Barry’s are out of the way from the route you take to school, and they don’t want Diana strolling outside any longer than she must,” She explained, “Gilbert, however, lives near the closest path you would be able to take. Our decision is final: you’re walking to school with Gilbert Blythe.” 

Anne pouted, looking toward Matthew with her puppy-dog eyes, praying for him to get her out of this unlivable nightmare. Matthew, standing in the corner observing the situation, felt pity for Anne, but could do nothing but give her a small shrug. Marilla finished gathering Anne’s materials and handed them to her. 

“Here,” she smiled, “I packed an extra apple for Mr. Blythe. Make sure he gets it.” 

Anne sighed in defeat, taking her things and preparing to leave, walking to the door. Curse these frosty canadian winters! She paused for a moment, turned around, glaring at them.

“Fine. I will accept this situation, but do not think for one second that I will enjoy it! Because I most certainly will not!” She then walked out the door, bracing herself for the unbearable horror. Not to mention the weather as well. 

The first day, she almost didn’t knock on the door. She stood outside his house pacing back and forth, debating on whether she should go in, or simply walk to school on her own. She finally gave up, deciding to knock. He walked out with his things. They had greeted each other out of politeness, Anne had handed him the apple (He happily accepted, something Anne hadn’t done when he offered an apple the first day they met), and they walked side by side in utter silence. 

This was the case for the first five days. After that, Anne had a plan to tell tales of how wonderful Ruby was, and those stories would be the only ones coming out of her mouth. Anne decided since Ruby was still recovering from frostbite, she best not tell Ruby about their arrangement though, since Ruby would do nothing but ask questions about Gilbert. Nonetheless, Anne stood by her. Though, Gilbert was a little confused the first few times when he would inquire about Anne’s night, and would end up hearing about Ruby’s. 

“It’s quite impressive that Ruby can milk a cow in under 20 seconds, but that wasn’t what I was asking,” Gilbert said one day. 

“Oh. What was the question?”

“I believe the question was:  _ Do you want a slice of bread? _ ” He giggled as Anne blushed in embarrassment. 

After about ten days, the cold weather was still raging, but Anne and Gilbert had gotten into a good flow in their routine. Anne would walk over, say hi to Bash, Mary and the baby, and her and Gilbert would leave. They would talk to each other about all sorts of things (Anne still mentioned Ruby quite a lot, but she now expanded her topics of discussion to elsewhere), although Anne would do most of the talking. Gilbert was more than happy to just listen to her, chipping in much more than he did at the start. Anne didn’t mind. She actually enjoyed his company. On the rare occasion that he would let her tell him a story she wrote, he was a great listener, gasping at all the intense moments and lightly laughing while shaking his head at Anne’s punchlines. Each day in its own was a small adventure, the next one not quite like the one before it. Day by day, Anne grew fonder of her walks to school Gilbert Blythe (especially since Billy Andrews would stay far away from her because of it). Of course, she would never admit to Marilla that she was happy with this. Why would she? It wasn’t as if there was anything romantical about her promenades with Mr. Blythe. Nothing romantical whatsoever.

Right?


	2. Cold Feet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I seriously underestimated the word count for each chapter lol chapter 1 was really a stepping stone for chapter 2 so I'm going to wait a bit longer before posting chapters 3 and 4 for some suspense. So anyway enjoy chapter 2!

One day, Anne routinely arrived to the good doctor’s residence, the icy wind blowing her braids around as she knocked on the door.  
“Anne, hi.” He was ruffling around for his things for what felt like an eternity.   
“Hurry! we must get there before the others, we’ve talked about this. Are you ready yet?”   
“Yes. After you, miss,” Gilbert said, gesturing toward the forest. Anne started off, rolling her eyes in a teasing way. They had been doing this little act since day six. Gilbert softly chuckled, and paused for no particular reason to smile to himself before catching up to Anne’s quick pace. He had done so on previous walks as well whenever she made a sly flirty remark, or looked especially stunning in Gilbert’s eyes. Of course Anne noticed none of that. She just turned toward him slightly as he let his steps fall into place next to hers. Today though, Anne felt a wave rush over her, and suddenly she felt almost shy. She hadn’t been this silent since the first day they’d walked together.   
“How’s Ruby doing?” He broke the silence after a few minutes.  
“She’s doing wonderfully. She has made a full recovery and is returning to school today, it’s very exciting,” Anne was nodding in reassurement.  
“Good.”  
More walking in silence. It was hard to find the right words to say for some reason.  
“So… how are you? Must have been upsetting, seeing your friend ill,” he inquired. It was sweet of him to ask, but Anne only used his interest to talk of Ruby.   
“I am holding up well. Ruby is quite strong, you know. She really didn’t need much time to recover. She’s be back to being the wonderful, kind, and beautiful human being she is.”  
“This whole thing reminds me of a story too,” she continued. It was a fond memory of her, Ruby and Diane.   
Gilbert looked over at her as she stopped talking. Apparently, Anne had gotten lost in her imagination once more, because she was reliving the memory in her head and not actually retelling it.   
“I’m all ears,” Gilbert said, eager to know this wondrous tale Anne spoke of.  
“Back in the summer, Ruby actually caught a fish for us,” Anne spoke, remembering it like it was yesterday.   
Gilbert smiled and laughed, furrowing his eyebrows pretending to be serious, “Sounds like a dangerous adventure.” He couldn’t say that without giggling a little.   
Anne’s eyes were now sparkling at the mere memory of it all.   
“It was quite the adventure. Last summer, we went to the river by Diana’s. We were dancing around and the birds were singing a beautiful song. It was magical.” There was so much awe in her voice, Gilbert couldn’t help but smile. Everything about Anne’s storytelling just mesmerized him: the twinkle in her eyes, the passion in her voice, the way that her voice sounded like warm honey. He was pleased to just listen. Anne went off the trail and hopped up onto a log, leaving little footprints in the blanket of snow over the trunk. She walked cautiously as Gilbert walked on the trail observing. She didn’t care if he thought she was strange or unusual. She was, and she liked that about herself. She just kept going, jumping off of the log and continuing her story.   
“Diana and I were taking off our socks and shoes to go in the water and splash around, but Ruby stayed just next to the river- to keep lookout.” In reality, Ruby stayed behind because at first she thought the whole idea was quite ridiculous, and did not want to get in trouble with her parents. Of course, Anne didn’t tell Gilbert that, because, the rules were simple; she had to make Ruby the hero of every story.  
“We saw a fish in the water and started to chase after it. Ruby ran alongside us on land. I was quite impressed she was able to keep up. We got to the fish and it flopped itself high in the air.” At this point, Anne straightened out her hand and demonstrated as the fish plummeted into the air, creating little waves with her finger as the fish would have been wobbling. Unfortunately, she was walking off trail and failed to notice the little creek coming up ahead that had frozen over only slightly.   
“The fish was in the air for what felt like forever,” she sighed, her hand in the air acting as the fish. She kept strolling, now just reaching halfway across the ice, which was already cracking beneath her feet. Anne failed to notice, but Gilbert, however, had his eyes wide open as he knew that Anne would soon fall into the chilling water.   
“ANNE!”   
Anne was so absorbed in the story she didn’t even hear him.  
“Ruby saw the fish flying right at her! Without even flinching, all of a sudden she--”  
Gilbert had started to run as soon as Anne had ignored his warning. Just as Anne looked down, stopped her story and realised the ice was breaking beneath her feet, Gilbert rushed in, nudging her towards land. The crunching of the ice got louder and louder as cold water splashed at their feet. They made it to the grass just on time, as the ice on the section they had escaped from had completely caved in and gone underneath the water. Just making it to the grass, Anne had lost balance, and started to fall and scream when Gilbert caught her by the waist with both hands and tugged her back up into a dip as though they had been dancing. After the patch of ice they once stood on splashed underneath the surface, everything fell silent. Anne’s heart was racing. She tried to look away as much as possible, but she had already locked eyes with Gilbert, and for some reason, her mind wouldn’t let them travel anywhere else. For a second she almost felt at home, his warm, inviting eyes looking right at her as though she was the most tragically beautiful thing on the earth. A small smile tugged at his face as he slowly pulled her back up. Anne swallowed hard. For a split second, she had felt something very strange, and it made her uneasy. They were both standing upright now, but not once did Gilbert take his eyes off of her, even as his hand moved from her waist to her shoulders.   
“You’re alright?” He said it so quietly. It was like a breath, and yet his voice still managed to sound so genuinely concerned, Anne almost thought it was… sweet.   
Almost.  
“Yes,” she gulped. This time, her voice was light. She felt simply swept away. Their faces were about a foot away from each other, so close that Anne could see the fog from his breath.  
Having no idea what to do or say, Anne simply gulped and said, “So, Ruby ended up catching the fish.” Her voice was light and soft, and space between them was getting smaller and smaller. Gilbert nodded. The eye contact continued. It was suddenly not cold at all, and Anne was speechless. Her mind always worked quickly, but now she had no idea what to do. Her forehead was millimetres away from his, and there was a strange tension in the air.  
No, wait.  
Anne couldn’t do this. Her heart went down to her throat. God, what was she doing? Was she even doing anything at all? She almost felt unfaithful to Ruby. No no no, no no. She couldn’t be there right now. It’s not like she felt anything for Gilbert. Nothing. Right? But simply by being this close to someone who a fellow girl has had a crush on for forever, it felt wrong. Especially since said girl was one of Anne’s best friends.   
She backed up, looking at her knees.  
“We should get back on the trail.” Her voice was almost trembling, and once more, it came out like a light breath.  
And with that, reality snapped back into place. Gilbert shook his head in agreement, gulping and stuttering.   
“Uhm, I- I mean yeah… yes sure.”   
As if the world had crashed turned upside down for only a moment, everything was suddenly back to normal. Reality set in, and Gil did his usual gesture.  
“After you, miss.”  
She curtseyed and began to make her way back to the path. Was it a good thing or a bad thing that she felt almost relieved? The weird feeling that had developed in her stomach still wouldn’t go away though. Strange. Gilbert had his eyebrows furrowed, thinking about their moment too. Replaying it in his head. Anne was just a friend. A really good friend, that was it. He nodded and continued to follow Anne back to the path.   
They were just getting back on to the trail when they heard footsteps coming. Judging by the abrasive thuds of their feet and obnoxious chuckles, they knew who was coming. Anne stopped dead in her tracks, clenching her eyes shut and waiting to wake up from a nightmare. Too late, it was real. The time they had spent avoiding the treacherous lake had put a delay in their well thought out schedule. The bully and his gang caught up with them as Gilbert cursed under his breath.   
“Well well well, if it isn’t the stray mutt and her little scumbag owner.”  
Damn you, Billy Andrews.


	3. Trapped

Billy and his small posse of snickering boys stood a few feet away from them. Anne and Gilbert had been trying to avoid people asking questions, and to avoid situations like this. That’s exactly why they chose to leave early every day, and why they chose the shortest route to school. Although apparently, they had wasted enough time to let Billy’s crew catch up to them. Anne could already feel her blood boiling. She clenched her fists shut trying to internalize her infamous temper.  
“What do you want Billy?!”  
“Well we were just wondering why anyone would be walking an unwanted mutt on our trail!” His friends laughed like hyenas as Billy made barking dog noises and snarled.  
“Last time I checked you didn’t own this trail, so I would suggest that you keep walking!!” Anne roared these words as strongly as she could. Internalizing her temper clearly wasn’t in the picture anymore.  
Billy’s expression changed and all of a sudden he was walking slowly towards them.  
“Who asked for your suggestions, freak show? I thought it was clear you didn’t belong here!”  
Anne gulped. Something about those words hit her hard, and though her temper was fiery, her fear of being alone took over. Thankfully, Gilbert stepped in to finish what she started. He stepped in between them, walking up to Billy with Anne’s rage having been somehow transferred over to him.  
“I thought I told you what would happen if you hassled Anne again. So try it… I dare you.” There was something dangerously unhinged about the way it came out of his mouth, and Billy blinked a few times in shock before snapping back.  
“What’re you going to do Blythe? Come on, really. I mean, what’s wrong with you? Just hand over the girl so we can teach her a lesson.”  
Anne was observing it all with a worried face. She had no doubt that Gilbert would do something reckless to protect her, but she didn’t want to find out the extent of it. She thought this would be the moment everything went downhill, but just the as if fate took over, she laid her eyes on the hole in the creek she almost fell in, and an idea came into mind.  
So, without thinking, she yelled as loud as she could, “You want me, right? Fine, come and get me.”  
Then, she ran.  
Anne darted down the small hill to the creek as Billy laughed and chased her, Gilbert following them in shock. She stood right next to the hole, the ice already starting to crack a little bit again. Then, Billy caught up to her. He was running straight at her, the hole now behind her. He was inches away from her, when she swerved to the left, Billy and his friends coming to a halt. Now Anne was slightly farther away, next to the ground yet still on the ice, but now Billy was the one next to the hole.  
He snorted, “You think you could try and drown me in icy water? Nice try, you sick freak!”  
Anne glared at him. He was seriously dense to think this was her plan.  
“No… I didn’t. You drowned yourself!” Her voice was growly and snappy, as she stomped her foot on the ice with a force that was mighty and shook the whole forest. More ice gave in, the large hole growing even larger in size as Billy and his gang fell into the stream. Their heads came up to the surface gasping and yelping from the sting of the chilling water.  
Unfortunately, Anne didn’t get to see the sweet success of her brilliant plan. Her foot slipped on the ice after she had stomped on it and it sent her flying backwards. Her head hit the rock behind her on the grass, and suddenly everything went black. She was unconscious. The bullies still flailing in the giant ice water hole, Gilbert was watching everything in utter shock. Everything had happened so fast, and now suddenly he was hovering over Anne and she was passed out.  
“Anne. Anne, wake up!” You did it, you beat them. Just wake up now, come on.” He was panting and had his hands on her shoulders, trying to wake her up. What was he doing? Doctors were supposed to be logical. So why was he finding it so hard not to panic and assume the worst? He got his mind back into doctor mode and picked her up to carry her back to the Cuthbert’s residence. When he arrived and told them everything, Marilla informed the school that Anne would not be attending school, as well as Billy and his two henchmen, who were found to have hypothermia just like Ruby. Gil explained to Marilla that they found Billy and his crew and Anne had hit her head on the rock trying to help them out of the water. Of course, it was a lie, but he was more than happy to cover for Anne, as it probably wouldn’t be good if people knew the truth. Matthew began to attend to the cut that the rock had left on her head, and Gilbert fetched some warm water. There was much running around and flailing for this or that, and then suddenly, all they could do was wait for her to wake up, and give her some rest. Gilbert packed his things to leave for school.  
“Thank you, Gilbert, for saving Anne. You’re always welcome here.”  
“Are you sure you don’t need any assistance, Ms. Cuthbert?”  
“Oh, we’ll all be fine. Anne will be alright. Now, you should hurry along, we can’t have you missing out on your education. But, after school, do feel free to come and visit Anne. I’m sure she would be delighted to see all of her uh, friends.” Ms. Cuthbert had a certain knowing look on her face, and for a minute, Gilbert wondered if she somehow read his mind and knew everything that happened at the lake before Billy showed up. For the moment, however, it didn’t matter to Gilbert. He just wanted Anne alive.  
Gilbert nodded, said goodbye, and left for the woods again. His mind was still racing, and he was replaying the entire morning in his head. How could all of this happen in a matter of hours? It was stressful to an unbearable point. He was quiet for most of the day, even when all the guys greeted him and were goofing around with him, he would reply with a nod and just walk away.  
He couldn’t help but tune everything out. It was like every second he could hear the thud of Anne hitting her head on the rock, or Billy’s taunts… or the way his hand felt on the small of her back when he saved her from drowning, like it was made to hold her and that letting go was a stupid decision. Then, something made him snap back to the real world.  
“Mr. Blythe! Would you please answer the question?”  
It was Miss Stacey. He was so wrapped up in his own world he hadn’t even realised that he was supposed to answer.  
“Sorry, uh,” he was stuttering like crazy now, “what was the question again?”  
It was going to be a very long day for Mr. Blythe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Anne, poor Gil, poor everyone really am I right I mean I'm kind of realizing that these characters just aren't getting a break! LMAO, don't worry though guys it ends on a good note


	4. Safe and Sound

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lol the final chapter is here and I'm so happy with how this turned out so I hope you guys enjoy!  
> Also, comment down below ANYTHING you want me to write a fic on next, chances are I've watched/read it so don't be shy, I'm a multifandom-ed woman :)

Anne finally awoke just as school had ended. She was still feeling groggy so she stayed in her bed as Marilla and Matthew came to check up on her.  
“Ah, you’re awake!” Matthew seemed very relieved. “How are you feeling?”  
Anne remained lying down. “I feel alright.” She was still coming back to consciousness, so she was looking around the room confused as to how she got here.  
“Some visitors are coming to see you, so get some rest before they come. I’m sure you’ll be happy to see Gilbert and thank him for saving your life,” Marilla explained.  
After school had ended, the first guests who visited were Diana and Ruby. They had heard from Gilbert about what happened and rushed over as quickly as they could. They shuffled into the room and welcomed Anne with a huge group hug.  
“We missed you, we were so worried!” Diana’s voice was soft as she was speaking right into Anne’s shoulder since they still hadn’t let go of the hug yet.  
Ruby broke free from the hug. “We heard about what happened. Very brave on your part, but why would you want to save Billy’s life when he’s always so awful to you?”  
Anne pulled the blankets off of her shoulders and sat up slightly.  
“What?!”  
“Well, that’s what Gilbert told everybody. Everyone thinks you’re quite the hero now,” Ruby elaborated.  
“That’s not exactly how it went,” Anne smiled, “But at least Gilbert talked to you, right Ruby? He must have been thinking to tell you first.”  
“I suppose so,” She shrugged, “But honestly to me, it doesn’t quite matter.”  
Anne’s eyes went wide open. She looked at Ruby, then to Diana who was smiling knowingly, then back to Ruby, then back to Diana.  
“What am I missing?”  
Diana shrugged and sighed, “Oh, well Ruby just decided that her affection for Gilbert Blythe was pointless and she has moved on.” Ruby nodded in agreement.  
Anne’s jaw dropped to the floor. All of her stories of Ruby she told Gilbert about were for nothing? She was shocked, but she also felt some sort of relief, and almost excitement in her words. And apparently, Diana had noticed that, because she was smiling at Anne with a knowing look.  
“Anyway,” Diana said as she placed a basket of scones on her bedside table, “we made scones for you as a gift. We hope you feel better soon!”  
Anne gushed, “Thank you. Both of you, so much!” They all hugged one last time as Ruby and Diana left and started to make their way home.  
The second visitor arrived shortly after they left, and although a part of Anne wished it was Gilbert, the person who the Cuthberts let in wasn’t him at all, but Miss Stacy. She walked in with a sophistication and finesse that Anne awed at and admired, and sat right at the foot of the bed.  
“How are you, Anne?”  
“I’m feeling much better. I promise I will come to school tomorrow.”  
“Good,” Miss Stacy nodded with a warm smile on her face. She plopped down books and papers on the table (Anne had missed quite a lot at school, but nothing she couldn’t catch up on), and turned back to Anne.  
“Here’s what you missed in school, but do not feel obliged to learn it all right away. You’re an eager learner, Anne, but you also need some rest. I do hope you feel better soon though. I can’t have my brightest student falling behind!”  
Anne tried her hardest not to show it, but she felt like a kid at Christmas. She was her brightest student? Anne Shirley Cuthbert was Miss Stacy’s brightest student. Oh, how magical that sounded. She had hardly noticed that Miss Stacy had gone to leave Anne’s room, but when she turned around before leaving, Anne looked at her as she began to speak.  
“Mr. Blythe told me what happened to you this morning. You did quite a number on that poor fellow.”  
Anne was shocked. If Gilbert covered for her, how did Miss Stacy know what really happened to Billy and his friends? It was like she could see it in Anne’s eyes; the memory of her foot hitting the ice as it caved in.  
“Oh Miss Stacy, I truly am sorry. Billy and his friends were being quite rude but I should not have responded so violently. Gilbert should not have tried to cover it up for me either.”  
She shook her head in amusement. “Oh, no dear, Mr. Blythe isn’t a very good liar and I knew what had happened to those boys right away.” She leaned forward a bit as if she was telling a secret from across the room and loudly whispered, “Those boys had it coming to them, don’t you think?”  
“Anyway,” she continued in a regular voice, “I wasn’t talking about the number you pulled on them. I was talking about Gilbert Blythe. He was pale with worry today, the poor thing. I doubt he thought of anything other than if you were alright.”  
Anne gulped, suddenly feeling as though a million pairs of eyes were on her. He was worried about her? It was almost heartwarming, but she wasn’t sure how she should feel about any of this. Ruby was over him? Gilbert Blythe was really that head over heels for her?  
Miss Stacy proceeded to open Anne’s bedroom door and was met by the one and only… Gilbert Blythe.  
“Hello, Miss Stacy.” Something in his voice made him sound very nervous.  
“Oh, well, look who it is,” Miss Stacy said, “Gilbert.” She nodded at him. Gilbert squished past her and entered the room as she exited it, raising her eyebrows and giving the same knowing look to Anne as Diana had from behind Gil’s shoulder.  
Anne’s heart skipped a beat at the sight of Gilbert. It was the two of them, alone, just like on the river. It felt like ages ago now, as Gil sat down right next to Anne, who was now sitting upright in her bed.  
He sighed so heavily, it was like his shoulders had been wound up for so long and only now was he able to let them relax.  
“I was worried after what happened, I thought I should check up on you.”  
“Sorry to cause all the stress. You didn’t have to check up on me though.” Her voice was soft and gentle, and Gilbert smiled.  
“A good doctor always checks up on his patients,” he teased. Anne giggled, sending a sharp pain shot through the bump on her forehead. She gave a slight yelp and put her hand to the wound.  
“Are you alright?” Gilbert asked. His hand went to her injury, and Anne felt her hand moving away from it. His fingers gently brushed the small bump on her forehead, and his eyes traveled from the wound to Anne’s eyes. She looked right back into his eyes, letting herself get lost in them. The world had finally let her do that and for once, she felt no betrayal to Ruby whatsoever, and she could have that soft, warm flutter in her heart for him and not feel guilty. Gilbert continued gazing too, his eyes that had once been so worried about her finally being able to see her. He was never going to loo away, he was too happy that she was alive. His hand moved to her cheek and his thumb brushed it softly and slowly for a second before he removed his hand all together.  
The feelings were almost there. It was as though something had snapped and now Anne and Gilbert were allowed to feel what they felt, they just hadn’t figured out what it was that they felt quite yet. So now, there they were, in utter silence, now looking down at their fingers.  
Anne was thinking really hard now. She was thinking about the moment they had earlier, about Ruby moving on, about everything she had felt when they were together. It was almost a foreign feeling to her, since most of her life she had felt lost and alone, but now she knew.  
Gilbert was one of the closest things she had to home.  
She could save herself, and he knew that. But he was just there for her. To make sure she was alright, to be strong when she couldn’t, to make sure she was safe. It made her feel loved and strong and happy all mixed together. It was new, and strange for her, but she could finally feel that way, and she didn’t know how to feel about that. So, she made up her mind on what to do.  
“So, umm, Bash and Mary hope you–” Gilbert started. He didn’t finish the sentence though, as Anne put one hand around his neck, one hand on his cheek and abruptly and fiercely pulled him in and kissed him. For years she had been in this unspoken thing with him, and now it was far from unspoken; it was shouting, demanding to be heard by the universe in this snowstorm of passion. His lips were as soft as his eyes, and it was the strangest thing to her, the way it felt so familiar, so safe.  
Just like that, Anne pulled away. She looked him dead in the eye, uncertain of whether he wanted that or not. He did though, as he gulped in total awe of how amazing it was, and finished his sentence.  
“They hope you’re safe and sound.” His voice was soft, just like it was in the forest. Anne giggled, causing Gilbert to smile at her, and it was him that leaned in to kiss her. This time, he was kissing back and it was passionate and confusing and beautiful all at the same time just like her, and he loved it. He couldn’t help but stop for a second and smile, his forehead still on Anne’s, but only lightly touching so as to avoid the bump.  
Their lips locked one more time before pulling away. The two of them were grinning like fools. “I’m safe and sound. I promise.” Anne repeated his words, closing her eyes for a second and smiling.  
Gil put his hand to her cheek as she nestled her face in the palm of his hand.  
“See you tomorrow, Miss.”  
She pretended to curtsey (she was sitting down, so she could only make a similar movement to curtseying) and with that, Gilbert gave a quick nod of the cap on his head, wrapped his scarf around his neck, and left.  
That night, Anne felt the small bump on her head, retracing the exact movement Gilbert had done with his hands, before falling asleep, safe and sound just like she promised.  
・~・  
The next morning, Anne woke up and already felt better. She skipped downstairs, grabbing a scone from the basket that Diana and Ruby brought.  
“Good morning,” Anne singsonged. For some reason, she was in a very good mood.  
Matthew smiled and chuckled, “What has you so chipper this morning Anne?”  
Anne blushed, but covered it up and kept smiling, “Oh nothing. Just a lovely day out isn’t it?”  
Marilla heard and looked out the window. It was freezing outside, so she didn’t quite see the beauty, and she had a suspicion that it wasn’t what Anne was so happy about.  
“Yes,” she replied, “But try not to fall and hit your head when walking with Gilbert today, understand?”  
Anne tried not to giggle like a fool thinking about what had happened yesterday with Gilbert, but she couldn’t stop herself.  
“I promise I won’t. I’ll be safe and sound!” She hopped out of the door with her books (she had done quite a lot of catching up the other night, even though she could barely focus) and left to go to Gilbert’s house. Per her usual routine, she knocked on the door. She thought she’d be scared if things would change, but her fear just flew out the window the minute he opened the door.  
“Are you ready?”  
Gilbert, just like always, gestured towards the forest in a bow and replied, “After you miss.”  
She curtseyed, and headed for their usual route, the fear of Billy running into them gone. He and his friends would be out of school for a long time. Nothing had changed, and yet everything had changed, as Gilbert caught up to her just like yesterday. Although this time, before the next adventure came, before school, before facing the world, he took a risk and coyly kissed her on the cheek. She didn’t mind though, she thought it was quite romantical. She just blushed and laughed as they held hands and walked into the forest. They would deal with everything else later.  
Right now, they were too happy to care.


End file.
